The invention relates to an assembly module made of synthetic material and having the appearance of tiling for floor and/or wall coverings.
The invention relates to the technical field of covering floors and walls with prefabricated modules which may be of the tiling, ceramic, terracotta or parquet type, or made of woven or nonwoven materials of the carpet type, or of synthetic materials.
The use of square modules is well known per se and they have become popular because they are practical to lay and change in the event of damage. Furthermore, there is the possibility of laying out the modules in personalized decorative configurations, which presents an undeniable advantage.
Modules in the form of tiling in ceramic, terracotta and similar materials have the disadvantage that they are heavy, their edges chip easily and they can be damaged by impact. In addition, their properties and capacities in terms of heat and/or sound insulation are very limited. Moreover, when laying them it is necessary to first prepare a smooth screed. This demands a degree of skill.
The use is also known of modules in the form of tiles made from woven or nonwoven textiles of the carpet type. In addition to the great deformability of this type of tiles, there are the conventional drawbacks that they collect dust, acarids, and are difficult to clean.
Also known are modules in the form of tiles made of synthetic material that look like tiling. These are described in patent EP 203 042 MONDO, comprising a layered structure with a thick part forming a core and two layers of flexible, substantially inextensible synthetic material, between which is an intermediate separating layer. The covering thus made in the form of tiles is delimited along its sides by tapered peripheral edges which define rounded edges on the upper face.
Also known, from patent EP 625 170, are tiles made of synthetic material having a multilayer ceramic appearance.
The tiles thus made in particular in patents EP 203 042 and EP 625 170, are placed edge to edge when assembled and binders, glues or the like are used on the one hand to bond them to the relevant support surface and on the other hand to join them together. In this case, said binder is inserted into the space for jointing of the tiles at their rounded edges, as shown for example in the MONDO patent.
Although advantageous, the various embodiments mentioned above do not allow for a variation in the decorative effect, the tiles being essentially square.
Furthermore, when positioned edge to edge in assembly, the binder or glue part is generally flush with their upper plane and the desired imitation-ceramic effect is lost.